This Albany Times-Union story explains that the Reform Party is letting independents vote in its primaries on September 12. It imples that this has never happened before in New York, although some years ago there were some Independence Party primaries for district and local office that also permitted independents to vote. Thanks to several people for the link.
On August 30, the New York Court of Appeals, the highest state court in New York, refused to disturb the ruling of the State Supreme Court, Appellate Division, in Lavell v Baker. That case involved a dispute over whether the Independence Party properly nominated candidates for various local partisan offices in Erie County.
The objectors said the party didn’t follow its own rules, as to whether the state central committee, or the state executive committee, should decide whether to let candidates from other parties run in the Independence Party primary. The lower court, in a split decision, had ruled in favor of the party, and now that win is secure. Thanks to Joe Burns for this news.
On the afternoon of August 30, the North Carolina legislature passed SB 691, the bill to redistrict State Senate districts.
On August 30, the North Carolina legislature passed HB 927, which has new districts for State House seats. When the House convenes at 2 p.m. today, it is expected to pass SB 691, the bill for new State Senate districts.
Then the legislature will probably take a recess, and reconvene in October. According to Representative Bert Jones, SB 656 will be taken up at that time. That is the bill that greatly improves ballot access. It has already passed both houses, but the versions in each house differ, so more action is needed.
Several groups, most of which are Bernie Sanders supporters, have called a national meeting in Washington, D.C., for September 8-10, for the purpose of discussing creating a new Progressive Party. The meeting will be at American University. The meeting is also called by Socialist Alternative. One of the speakers will be Rocky Anderson, who founded the Justice Party in late 2011 and was its presidential nominee in 2012.
The webpage for the meeting is convergence2017.org. Here is a Huffington Post article about the meeting, written by Gail McGowan Mellor, who supports the idea of a new party.
